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Wednesday, 31 July 2013

A windy evening on the side of the old tip produced 92 species including firsts for me of Welsh Wave (worn but distinctive) Phaulernis fulviguttella (2nd VC41 record. Previous from 2002 in the same area) and Mirificarma mulinella. Also nice to see Scarce Silver Y, Scarce Burnished Brass (seems to be everywhere this year), Northern Spinach, Twin-spot Carpet, Straw Underwing, Antler and the dark form of Epinotia ramella.
Also one unidentified micro; all suggestions welcome, and thanks.

I hadn't done any trapping since Friday as we have building works going on and everything is covered in dust, but I thought I'd give it a go last night and very glad I did - this Palpita vitrealis was nestling among the egg boxes.

Palpita vitrealis

Palpita vitrealis

This appears to be the first VC41 record of this species since the major migrant influx of 2006, and the first record for the Cardiff area. There is only one other recent record on Atropos 'Flight Arrivals' - in Weymouth, Dorset on 22nd July.

Tuesday, 30 July 2013

I've now dissected a couple of Syncopacma species I caught in my garden earlier this month, and to my surprise these turned out to be different species: S cinctella on 8th July and S larseniella on 12th July (both males). You can see the subtly different shape of the white cross band in the photos below.

Syncopacma cinctella 08.7.13

Syncopacma larseniella 12.7.13

According to my MapMate there is just one previous VC41 record of each of these species, both made by W.E. Cox (S cinctella at Taff's Well in 1938 and S larseniella in Cardiff in 1939). Strange that both should turn up in my garden in the space of four days.

Sunday, 28 July 2013

Our little MV attracted 39 species on Friday night (26th). The highlights were species not recorded for a few years: Pyrausta aurata (2009), Clouded Border (2007), Dotted Clay (2004) and Beautiful Hook-tip (2006). New for the year apart from these were Mother-of-pearl, Small Fan-footed Wave and Common Carpet.

The garden has also been good for butterflies and day fliers including Six-spot Burnet moth and also Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell and a large Hedgehog!

We also walked the paths in the adjacent square at Broadlands and recorded good numbers of Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Ringlet and Speckled Wood. Six-spot Burnet moth was also recorded.

Margam Abbey was also a good choice with plenty of activity going on: Six-spot Burnet moth plus Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Small White, Large White, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Small Copper, Small Tortoiseshell. also present were Broad-bodied Chaser and Common Darter dragonflies.

Dolicharthria punctalis.
It was good to meet Adam and Mike and see George and Vaughan
again. I'm sure we passed 100 species with (for me) highlights being
The Phoenix, Marbled green, Double lobed and Cochylis roseana.
Some migrant activity noted with a few Diamond back moths and
2 Dark sword grass and there are still a few micros to sort out.

Took a walk up to Foel Trawsnant above Maesteg to see if i could find the Tortrix Philedone gerningana. I found some there in 2006 and was hoping to get a photo of one. A Diamond back moth on my door was a good start on the way out! On reaching the spot on the summit there were sheep grazing the long grass and i failed to see any but a Rush veneer was a nice find. I tapped a couple of Zeiraphera ratzburgiana from the Spruce trees and started back. I noticed a nice ungrazed piece of habitat up ahead and struck lucky with a female P. gerningana there.

Adam and I will be running traps at Amelia Trust Farm, near Barry on Saturday night as part of their Biodiversity Blitz, and if anyone wanted to join us, that would be great. For location details check their website here.

Wednesday, 24 July 2013

I'll be trapping with the WTSWW at their Cwm Colhuw reserve on Friday night (26th July) - if anyone fancies coming along you'll be very welcome. We're meeting at the Llantwit Major beach car park at 9pm and carrying gear up to the reserve from there - if anyone wants to bring traps that will be fine, but there'll be a bit of a walk involved.

Just emptied the trap & bang goes my theory of a small colony on Gower - I trapped one in central Cardiff last night. In a pot in my fridge Dave if you want to see it. Seems it could be a species moving west and 2013 may be a good year for it!

Monday, 22 July 2013

A bit late in reporting this...on Friday night I had 81 species in my garden MV, by far my highest species total since I started trapping here in 2007. These included a couple of micros new for ST17: Anarsia spartiella and Caloptilia cuculipennella. The latter is only the 5th county record I think, and the first recorded at light.

Anybody got any thoughts on this? I thought Mompha sturnipennella/subbistrigella at first but the photo doesn't bear this out.
Nice to see a Chestnut-coloured Carpet on the site. I can see now that what I thought might be one is just a very dark, small Spruce Carpet.

Owain Gabb trapped this Least Carpet (Idaea rusticata) at his home in Mumbles last night, which I believe is a new vice-county record. The only other Welsh records appear to be a couple of Pembs records. It will be interesting to discover if this is the start colonisation or just a wanderer that has arrived on the easterly air flow?

Two final sessions in a Port Eynon garden added a few new species to my week's list, the best (mostly first for year or lifers) species for me being Yellow Tail, Herald, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Purple Bar, Chinese Character, Sandy Carpet, Pretty Chalk Carpet, July Belle, Yellow Shell, Marbled Beauty,Lozotaeniodes formosanus and Ypsolopha sequella (I pick the last two as they were visually stunning; once I've sorted all my lists, I'm sure there were plenty more...)

I'll try and post some pics at some point.
I would also like to thank Chris, Barry, David, Mike & Paul for welcoming an out-of-town moth'er and allowing me to tag along to sessions and considerably increase my life list :)

Last night produced my highest number of species since I started trapping in 2007. A total of 61 species recorded, of which, just 6 were micros. A Tawny-barred Angle (f. nigrofulvata) was another new species for me and a Short-cloaked Moth was new for the garden. Also of note, in an otherwise pretty run of the mill catch, was a pair of copulating Garden Tigers. Most abundant species: 17 Double Line.

Friday, 19 July 2013

This fantastic weather has been good for what butterflies there are around and is proving to be seemingly ideal for spotting White-letter Hairstreaks. Martin Bevan had eleven at one site in the Cynon valley and inspired by that, yesterday morning I checked out some Wych Elms in Penderyn (VC42) and had three flying around the tree top. Today, I paid a quick lunch time visit to some Wych Elms, on the banks of the Cynon, in Cwmbach and saw three individuals, including an egg laying female.

Find yourself some elms and just watch the canopy for a while (you may have to watch for up to fifteen minutes or so) and hopefully you'll see a small, fast flying butterfly or two jinking around the canopy, in a brief flight. WLH are probably very under recorded, so if you get a chance, do check out any elms near you.

89 species here last night which is the highest total for the garden. Acleris forskaleana, Phoenix and the Syncopacma I mentioned below all new for the garden record. Also nice to see a couple of Garden Tigers and more Scarlet Tigers as I have not seen either species here before this season. They are obviously enjoying the heat!

Phoenix

Any thoughts on what this might be? Possibly an Acrobasis?

This is from a couple of nights ago. I have chalked it down as Aethes francillana rather than beatricella. If anyone disagrees do let me know!

Dave - I found a little Syncopacma in the trap last night. I see there are 3 which all look pretty much the same and none are common, so I wondered if this one might be worth dissecting? If you think it's worth it I will post it on.

A sample of the carnage at the bottom of my trap after an invasion of Water Veneer last night. I estimate 1500, however it may have been twice that, as they were swarming around the trap last night from dusk to about 11pm. I could see them passing over the garden and falling towards the light like tiny snow flakes. Amazing sight. Couple of decent moths in the garden over the last few days which I haven't caught for a few years: Bordered White, Garden Tiger, Fused Burnished Brass, Dingy Shears & Beautiful Golden Y. Along with Cypress Carpet & Acleris notana a first for the garden. Only migrant has been a Diamond-back Moth.

Thursday, 18 July 2013

50+ species in the trap this morning, 48 of them being macros. Highlights were Lilac Beauty and this Dingy Shears, both new species for me and for ST19...I think. Unfortunately the LB flew off as I was about to photograph it. :( Also, Scallop Shell, Blood-vein, Scarce Footman (2), Muslin Footman (2), Northern Spinach (2), Garden Tiger (3), Coronet (2) and The Miller.

Mike and Jake are heading to Horton tomorrow to look for Chestnut-coloured Carpet and I'll be joining them. Anyone else is welcome to join us, but please let us know either here or via email as parking is a potential issue (which I'm trying and resolve). I suggest that we meet at the car park in Horton SS47358558 at 8pm. Anyone bringing a trap must note that you will need to carry them for 50-100m along the cliff path, so best not overload yourself. I'll have a trap and genny and could do with a hand to carry one or t'other. I dare say Mike and Jake will have one or two, so we'll probably have enough in any case.

Welcome to the GMRG

This blog provides an opportunity for those interested in moth and butterfly recording in Glamorgan to post sightings, photographs and related activities. The pages of the old website can be found by clicking on the link below.